Members of Deaf Teen Quest clean the outside windows of the Campus Life building, formerly Shoney's, on McFarland Boulevard during the Deaf Teen Quest Work Week with Tuscaloosa's Youth for Christ organization in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday.

staff photo | Erin Nelson

By Angel CokerStaff Writer

Published: Wednesday, July 9, 2014 at 11:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, July 10, 2014 at 1:19 a.m.

Members of Deaf Teen Quest, a ministry of Youth for Christ USA, partnered Wednesday with Project Blessings and the Youth for Christ Tuscaloosa chapter to perform community service projects.

Youth for Christ is an international, multidenominational organization that has a mission to share the word of God with kids who don't have a church background.

Mike Green, executive director of Youth for Christ Tuscaloosa, said the Tuscaloosa chapter of the organization focuses on local high school students and teen moms. It doesn't have a Deaf Teen Quest but will provide opportunities for deaf and hearing-impaired teens of West Alabama to join in some of its projects, he said.

Green said the teens with Deaf Teen Quest travel across the U.S. They share the message of Christ by serving communities and make lifelong friendships with teens who share the same disability.

“It's giving them the opportunity to serve and give back,” Green said. “The mission of Deaf Teen Quest is to serve deaf and hard-of-hearing students by providing a safe place to be a part of a community of other kids who have some of the same challenges and share about Jesus.”

The group of about 20 teens from Atlanta, Mobile and Louisville, Ky., split into two teams to volunteer their service in two locations Wednesday.

Green said half of the teens joined Project Blessings, an organization dedicated to helping low-income homeowners repair their homes, to paint one family's home in Tuscaloosa. The other half organized supplies, cleaned and did general maintenance work at the Youth for Christ/Campus Life Teen Center.

He said the teens may work Friday to repair a family's home in Holt that was lost in a fire and help Forest Lake Baptist Church's Wings of Grace Ministry organize donations for people in need.

Green said Deaf Teen Quest chose to travel to Tuscaloosa for their service projects because of the April 27, 2011, tornado.

<p>Members of Deaf Teen Quest, a ministry of Youth for Christ USA, partnered Wednesday with Project Blessings and the Youth for Christ Tuscaloosa chapter to perform community service projects.</p><p>Youth for Christ is an international, multidenominational organization that has a mission to share the word of God with kids who don't have a church background. </p><p>Mike Green, executive director of Youth for Christ Tuscaloosa, said the Tuscaloosa chapter of the organization focuses on local high school students and teen moms. It doesn't have a Deaf Teen Quest but will provide opportunities for deaf and hearing-impaired teens of West Alabama to join in some of its projects, he said.</p><p>Green said the teens with Deaf Teen Quest travel across the U.S. They share the message of Christ by serving communities and make lifelong friendships with teens who share the same disability.</p><p>“It's giving them the opportunity to serve and give back,” Green said. “The mission of Deaf Teen Quest is to serve deaf and hard-of-hearing students by providing a safe place to be a part of a community of other kids who have some of the same challenges and share about Jesus.”</p><p>The group of about 20 teens from Atlanta, Mobile and Louisville, Ky., split into two teams to volunteer their service in two locations Wednesday. </p><p>Green said half of the teens joined Project Blessings, an organization dedicated to helping low-income homeowners repair their homes, to paint one family's home in Tuscaloosa. The other half organized supplies, cleaned and did general maintenance work at the Youth for Christ/Campus Life Teen Center.</p><p>He said the teens may work Friday to repair a family's home in Holt that was lost in a fire and help Forest Lake Baptist Church's Wings of Grace Ministry organize donations for people in need.</p><p>Green said Deaf Teen Quest chose to travel to Tuscaloosa for their service projects because of the April 27, 2011, tornado.</p>